Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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665. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of child minders registered with Tusla; the number of child minders not required to register with Tusla but who have voluntarily notified a city and county child care committee of their existence; the number of children her Department estimates are being cared for by child minders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21804/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla have confirmed that the there were 119 services registered as child minders at the end of Quarter One 2017. Only child minders caring for 4 or more unrelated children in the child minder's home are eligible to register with Tusla.

The City and County Childcare Committees (CCC) provided Pobal with annual figures of child minders who voluntarily notified them of their service. Pobal has confirmed that in 2016 the total number of child minders operating nationwide, as reported by the CCCs, was 1,597.

Other than the number of child minders registered with Tusla and the number voluntarily notified to the City and County Childcare Committees, the DCYA currently has no accurate source of information on the total number of child minders in Ireland. However, the recently published School Age Childcare Report (2017) estimates that there are 21,000 child minders in Ireland.

I have recently established the Childminding Working Group, chaired by Child Minding Ireland, and including officials from Tusla and from my Department, to make recommendations on reforms for the sector including proposals in relation to quality assurance, whether on a voluntary/non-statutory basis in the short term, or on a mandatory/statutory basis in the long term. These will include recommendations in relation to child minders who are exempt from registration with Tusla (Child and Family Agency) (those minding three or fewer pre-school children, or those minding school age children only). The recommendations are likely to include proposals to be progressed in the short, medium and long term, including the development of National Quality Standards for child minders and a proportionate system of quality assurance and regulation. The Working Group is due to present its recommendations to me by the end of this month.